Korean-based company to make $12 million investment

County gains 72 jobs

Gov. Pat McCrory (left) presents a state flag to Harry Kim, general manager of Custom Nonwoven Inc., after McCrory announced Friday at Davidson County Community College that the company is locating to Thomasville and plans to employ 72 people. Behind the two are N.C. Community College System president R. Scott Ralls and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker.

Published: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 3:21 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 5:38 p.m.

Gov. Pat McCrory hopes a South Korean company locating to Thomasville will be part of what he called a “Carolina comeback” in manufacturing.

McCrory announced Friday that Custom Nonwovens Inc. will locate its first North Carolina plant in the Chair City. The company, which will move into an existing building on Sunrise Center Drive, plans to create 72 jobs and invest about $12.8 million over the next three years, McCrory said.

“We might have you build a new cushion for the chair in downtown Thomasville,” McCrory joked to Harry Kim, who will serve as the Thomasville plant's manager.

Custom Nonwovens develops and manufactures polyester nonwoven pads and rolls through a thermal bonding process. Workers at the Thomasville plant will manufacture a new production line of fire retardant barriers and mattress pads for use in cushion seatings for medical, military and institutional applications, local and state officials said.

The Davidson County Economic Development Commission has been working with the company since January. EDC Executive Director Steve Googe said company officials originally sought a banking relationship. After that was set up, they came back and worked with the EDC to find a building in the area.

Custom Nonwovens will move into a building at 113 Sunrise Center Drive, which is in an industrial park setting. The building once housed Automotive Motors of Thomasville.

“It's been sitting empty for a long time, and it's a great building,” Googe said. “We've shown it 25-30 times.”

The company, formerly identified as Project Soft, is eligible for local and state incentive packages, if it meets job and investment requirements. The Davidson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a total of about $172,800 in possible tax-rebate incentives earlier this year. Custom Nonwovens was also approved for a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $128,000.

The average annual wage for the new jobs will be about $46,000, plus benefits, which is about $12,000 higher than the county's average wage. In addition, Googe said the company is not expected to transfer many existing employees to the new facility, meaning most hires will be new workers.

Kim said the company is looking to start operations in the facility by November.

“We will do our best to be a leader of this community and a leader of this industry,” Kim said.

McCrory made the announcement Friday as part of a statewide manufacturing day tour, which had stops and announcements in four other counties. He said the state cannot just thrive on service and government jobs and needs manufacturing to rebound.

“I think manufacturing and agriculture are part of the way we get out of this recession,” McCrory said.

Davidson County's unemployment rate was about 8.7 percent in August, according to figures released recently by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. There are about 7,400 people unemployed in the county.

The county, and especially Thomasville, has been impacted by various closures of major manufacturing employers, including Thomasville Furniture Industries.

In the first quarter of 2013, about 56 percent of the people employed in the private sector in Davidson County were employed in the manufacturing or goods producing industries, compared to about 85 percent a decade ago, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker and North Carolina Community College System President Dr. Scott Ralls also attended the announcement, which was held at Davidson County Community College's Mary E. Rittling Conference Center.

Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com. Follow Nash on Twitter: @LexDispatchNash

<p>Gov. Pat McCrory hopes a South Korean company locating to Thomasville will be part of what he called a “Carolina comeback” in manufacturing.</p><p>McCrory announced Friday that Custom Nonwovens Inc. will locate its first North Carolina plant in the Chair City. The company, which will move into an existing building on Sunrise Center Drive, plans to create 72 jobs and invest about $12.8 million over the next three years, McCrory said.</p><p>“We might have you build a new cushion for the chair in downtown Thomasville,” McCrory joked to Harry Kim, who will serve as the Thomasville plant's manager.</p><p>Custom Nonwovens develops and manufactures polyester nonwoven pads and rolls through a thermal bonding process. Workers at the Thomasville plant will manufacture a new production line of fire retardant barriers and mattress pads for use in cushion seatings for medical, military and institutional applications, local and state officials said.</p><p>The Davidson County Economic Development Commission has been working with the company since January. EDC Executive Director Steve Googe said company officials originally sought a banking relationship. After that was set up, they came back and worked with the EDC to find a building in the area.</p><p>Custom Nonwovens will move into a building at 113 Sunrise Center Drive, which is in an industrial park setting. The building once housed Automotive Motors of Thomasville.</p><p>“It's been sitting empty for a long time, and it's a great building,” Googe said. “We've shown it 25-30 times.”</p><p>The company, formerly identified as Project Soft, is eligible for local and state incentive packages, if it meets job and investment requirements. The Davidson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a total of about $172,800 in possible tax-rebate incentives earlier this year. Custom Nonwovens was also approved for a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $128,000.</p><p>The average annual wage for the new jobs will be about $46,000, plus benefits, which is about $12,000 higher than the county's average wage. In addition, Googe said the company is not expected to transfer many existing employees to the new facility, meaning most hires will be new workers.</p><p>Kim said the company is looking to start operations in the facility by November.</p><p>“We will do our best to be a leader of this community and a leader of this industry,” Kim said.</p><p>McCrory made the announcement Friday as part of a statewide manufacturing day tour, which had stops and announcements in four other counties. He said the state cannot just thrive on service and government jobs and needs manufacturing to rebound.</p><p>“I think manufacturing and agriculture are part of the way we get out of this recession,” McCrory said.</p><p>Davidson County's unemployment rate was about 8.7 percent in August, according to figures released recently by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. There are about 7,400 people unemployed in the county.</p><p>The county, and especially Thomasville, has been impacted by various closures of major manufacturing employers, including Thomasville Furniture Industries.</p><p>In the first quarter of 2013, about 56 percent of the people employed in the private sector in Davidson County were employed in the manufacturing or goods producing industries, compared to about 85 percent a decade ago, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.</p><p>Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker and North Carolina Community College System President Dr. Scott Ralls also attended the announcement, which was held at Davidson County Community College's Mary E. Rittling Conference Center.</p><p>Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com. Follow Nash on Twitter: @LexDispatchNash</p>